Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between communications directors and public relations managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a communications director and a public relations manager. Additionally, a communications director has an average salary of $107,700, which is higher than the $91,426 average annual salary of a public relations manager.
The top three skills for a communications director include web content, press releases and customer service. The most important skills for a public relations manager are press releases, web content, and pr campaigns.
| Communications Director | Public Relations Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $107,700 | $91,426 |
| Hourly rate | $51.78 | $43.95 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 27,939 | 35,273 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A communications director is responsible for monitoring and supervising the overall media relations from internal to external communications. A communications director's duties include managing campaigns, providing organizational updates to the employees, supporting social media marketing, developing effective communication strategies to build the organization's reputation, and efficiently leading team members in handling events that represent the business. Communications directors must have strong leadership and communication skills to provide support for the company's daily operations and strategies.
A public relations manager is responsible for monitoring the public relations department to boost its brand image and attract potential clients through press releases and media coverage. They work closely with the marketing team, developing marketing campaigns and promotional strategies for creating brand awareness. Public relations managers maintain the company's presence on various social media platforms, responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns regarding the company's goods and services. A public relations manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially in identifying business opportunities to increase revenues and profitability.
Communications directors and public relations managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Communications Director | Public Relations Manager | |
| Average salary | $107,700 | $91,426 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $188,000 | Between $64,000 And $128,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Las Vegas, NV |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between a communications director and a public relations manager in terms of educational background:
| Communications Director | Public Relations Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between communications directors' and public relations managers' demographics:
| Communications Director | Public Relations Manager | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.2% Female, 59.8% | Male, 34.5% Female, 65.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 5.1% White, 75.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |